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India Sets Up Its First WOAH-Recognised Equine Disease‑Free Compartment in Meerut, Boosting Global Equine Trade.

National | Dated: 05 Jul 2025

On July 3, 2025, India’s Remount Veterinary Corps (RVC) Centre & College, Meerut—under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying—received official recognition as the country’s first Equine Disease‑Free Compartment (EDFC) by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH).

🎯 Key Highlights:

  • - The globally certified EDFC eliminates major equine diseases: Equine Infectious Anaemia, Influenza, Piroplasmosis, Glanders, and Surra, while India has maintained a disease‑free status for African Horse Sickness since 2014, fulfilling WOAH’s strict biocontainment standards.
  • - The facility is located at RVC Centre & College in Meerut Cantonment, Uttar Pradesh, and meets the WOAH Terrestrial Animal Health Code requirements—providing robust biosecurity protocols, veterinary surveillance, and continuous animal health monitoring.
  • - This milestone enables Indian sport horses and riders to travel and compete internationally without quarantine, enhancing India’s presence in global equestrian competitions and supporting the equine breeding and high-value trade sector.

💡 Other Important Facts:

  • (i) The initiative was spearheaded by a coalition including the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, the Ministry of Defence’s RVC, the Equestrian Federation of India (EFI), and UP Animal Husbandry Department, and functions under strict Standard Operating Procedures for disease prevention, hygiene, pest control, and surveillance.
  • (ii) This accomplishment demonstrates India’s leadership in animal health biosecurity, aligning with its broader objective to establish Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI)-Free Compartments in poultry and elevate its global export-ready agricultural portfolio.

📚 Test Your Knowledge:

Recently, India established its first WOAH-recognised Equine Disease-Free Compartment (EDFC) in which city?

Correct Answer: Meerut

🚀 Quick Recap:

About World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH)

  • Director General (DG) : Dr. Emmanuelle Soubeyran
  • Headquarters : Paris, France